1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an automatic cassette changer for loading a selected one of a plurality of cassettes each stored in a cassette storing rack onto a reproducing device or a recording device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Automatic cassette changers wherein a desired one of a plurality of video cassettes each stored in a cassette storing rack is loaded onto a reproducing device by means of a cassette transporting means are already known and disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-182046, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-146460 and so on.
In such conventional automatic cassette changers, a cassette in a cassette storing rack is pushed out into a cassette transporting means by means of a spring for a cassette pushing out member provided in the cassette storing rack. On the contrary, when the cassette is returned into the cassette storing rack from the cassette transporting means, the force required to push out the cassette from the cassette storing rack is charged in the spring for the cassette pushing out member by the cassette itself being stored into the cassette storing rack. The cassette pushing out member is thus locked by a locking mechanism in a condition wherein the cassette is stored in position in the cassette storing rack. The locking condition of the locking mechanism is canceled by an unlocking means provided on the cassette transporting means, and if the locking condition is canceled, the cassette pushing out member is moved from a position spaced away from the cassette transporting means toward the cassette transporting means by the spring therefor. Upon such movement of the cassette pushing out member, it pushes out the cassette from within the cassette rack into the cassette transporting means.
With a conventional automatic cassette changer of the type mentioned just above, however, if the locking condition of the locking mechanism should inadvertently be canceled by some accident, then the cassette pushing out member is inadvertently moved from the position spaced away from the cassette transporting means toward the cassette transporting means by the cassette pushing out spring so that the cassette is inadvertently pushed out from the cassette storing rack toward the cassette transporting means. Consequently, the cassette transporting means will collide with the cassette thus pushed out from the cassette storing rack so that both or either one of the cassette transporting means and the cassette may be damaged or broken.